Town of HHI should get creative and make use of vacated spaces for affordable housing

Housing options exist

As Chimney Cove residents are being evicted so that higher priced homes are planned to be built, I do not understand why the town does not make use of the old Planters Row golf course. There is a lot of room to build many apartments/condos that are affordable for the much needed workforce for the island. It is also conveniently located on 278.

If we do not provide housing for our workers, the attractiveness of our island will decrease.

Another location is that old, concrete covered automobile lot on 278 closer to the bridge.

We must look out for our very important workforce if we want teachers, nurses, housekeepers, landscapers, waitstaff, and others to help keep our island the paradise which it is.

Carol Horowitz, Hilton Head

‘Spot-on’ criticism

David Travis Bland’s editorial on August 24 (Thou shall not give....) Is spot-on and should concern every citizen of our state. The establishment clause of the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution clearly prohibits governmental support of any and all religions.

When Representatives Burns and McCravy pushed this bill through, they set a precedent that will be difficult to reverse in the future.

For example, if a Muslim group decides that they need assistance in funding an Islam school for needy kids, then our state leaders will have to approve it, or risk a lawsuit for favoring one religion over another.

Gov. McMaster should have vetoed the earmark donation for the Christian Learning Center of Greenville.

Clyde Waters, Columbia

Stick with the plan

The press and speculation that Hilton Head Island residents support a two-bridge versus single-bridge solution seem more emotional than factual with both having similar size and mass, the same traffic and impact to the same geography.

There seems to be the desire by some to spend $50M more for the two-bridge solution based largely on appearance. My guess is that if voters were asked today, a similar bond/sales tax proposal would fail pretty quickly.

We have the suggested 278 proposal on island design changes based on public response, neighborhood impact, improving 278 access, and general traffic flow and roadways on the island. Those appear to have been reasonably received by the county and SCDOT.

By delaying, we are just increasing costs due to inflation. We can study island traffic more, but the biggest commute changes have been the removal of tolls on the Cross Island Parkway and the increase of service workers having to commute due to high island living costs.

Island businesses are struggling with staffing. Potential work force growth is significantly larger off island. Making commutes better and less expensive would help.

Gene Sain, HHI

One bridge vs. two

Last Monday, The Island Packet featured a story about Beaufort County councilman Stu Rodman betraying the island with his vote for one six-lane bridge to be built instead of two separate bridges.

Within the article, the writer states he “abandoned islanders’ wishes for two, three-lane bridges.” Really? To my knowledge, no such consensus has been reached.

Earlier this spring, The Packet published a drawing of the two-bridge plan.

Do Islanders know one span would be directly over Mariner’s Cove Club and residents may have to be relocated? This stable community was built in 1973, where I have been a resident for 32 years. But aside from my own interests, the earlier article also stated two spans would be more costly, take longer to build, and would have more environmental impact than a single six-lane span.

I have been to several meetings with the SCDOT over the last years concerning the bridge, and one was for Mariner’s Cove residents in particular. At no time were two spans being considered. I suspect this two-bridge idea comes from some members of our Town Council. To say it is the wish of islanders is unfounded.

Judith Hillis, HHI